Graduate Certificate of Urban Design | International Student Courses | Swinburne University

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GC-UD Postgraduate Hawthorn Send me a link to this course

The Graduate Certificate of Urban Design builds on your existing skills and knowledge to prepare you for designing healthy, modern cities.

You’ll hone your understanding of the contemporary approaches needed to tackle population growth, climate change, housing affordability, urban mobility and public health in our cities.

You’ll graduate with the confidence and specialised knowledge in urban design required to build a career in urban design and planning practices, or in local city councils.

Information sessions

Find out how you can meet us in your home country or in Australia.

Every international student application is considered for a scholarship
Whether you’re living in Australia or overseas, you’re automatically considered for a scholarship of up to 20% off your course fees. Please check our updated entry requirements.

Duration

6 Month/s

Intakes

Hawthorn (Semester 1) - View application and start dates

CRICOS code

098498C

Fees

A$40140 (annual for 2024)*

The indicative course fees shown in Course Search apply to international students for the relevant year only. They are based on a standard study load per year. However, please note that fees are assessed according to a student's study load in each semester, and variation to study load will result in an adjustment to tuition fees. All fees are subject to annual review and may be adjusted.

Course information in detail

- Course detail, course structure and units of study.

Course description

The Graduate Certificate of Urban Design focuses on designing for healthy city futures by embracing creative and speculative design thinking; cross-disciplinarity; alongside engagement with people, data and advanced technologies. Cities are growing at an unprecedented rate with over fifty per cent of the world’s population now living in cities. This mass urbanisation presents urgent challenges, such as accommodating dense populations, responding to climate change, public health, housing affordability, urban mobility, and growing spatial complexity. These challenges cannot be addressed using traditional twentieth century urban planning methods – new multi-dimensional approaches are needed by professionals that embrace three-dimensional space, big-data along with change over time, temperature, humidity, sun and shade, land-use, alongside economic, environmental, social and cultural aspects of the city.

Graduates will have skills and knowledge to make contributions in careers in private practices including urban design, and planning practices or well as local government positions in local city councils.

International students in Australia who hold student visas are required to study full-time and on campus. Courses that are taught entirely online are only available to international students studying outside Australia or those in Australia who are not on a student visa. Online courses are not available to international students in Australia who hold a student visa.

Course structure

To qualify for the award of Graduate Certificate of Urban Design, students must complete 50 credit points:

3 core units of study (50 credit points)

Maximum Academic Credit
The maximum level of credit that can be granted for the Graduate Certificate of Urban Design is 25 credit points (normally two units)

Units of study

Student must complete the following 3 units of study:

ARC70001 Design Research Studio A (25 credit points) *

ARC80001 Dynamic Modelling of Cities *

ARC70004 Theories of Buildings and Cities *

* Outcome units - matched exemptions are generally not granted for higher education outcome units.

Careers and graduate outcomes

- Career opportunities and course aims and objectives.

Career opportunities

Graduate will have skills and knowledge to make contributions in careers in private practices including urban design, and planning practices or well as local government positions in local city councils.

Aims and objectives

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to apply specialised knowledge in Urban Design and will be able to:

critically reflect on and apply knowledge of contemporary urban design theory and practice demonstrating comprehension of international and local planning theory and history, planning law and statutory planning, urban economics, sustainability, land use and urban design, and strategic planning
apply analytical design research methods with an understanding of sourcing credible, relevant data to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and apply these to the broader social, economic and environmental urban processes
apply creative spatial thinking and innovation approaches in a range of settings and scales while critically presenting design ideas and research results to explain, interpret and evaluate the impact of a specific complex Urban Design solution
communicate clearly and concisely using a range of media to present, explain, and interpret design propositions, methodologies, conclusions, professional decisions and urban analysis to diverse audiences.

Pathways and scholarships

- Scholarships.

Scholarships

At Swinburne scholarships are about providing opportunity, promoting equity and recognising excellence and achievement. Scholarships are available for both commencing and current students. Find out more about scholarships.

Course fees and requirements

- Fees, entry requirements and English language requirements.

Course fees

A$40140 (annual for 2024)*

Entry requirements

A prerequisite for many courses, the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) can now be done on campus in Hawthorn at Room 132, Building TD. Book now or call +61 3 9214 3584 for more information.

Admission to the Graduate Certificate of Urban Design will require one of the following:

successful completion of the Swinburne Bachelor of Design (Architecture) or
successful completion of the Swinburne Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with a major in Architectural or
successful completion of the Swinburne Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours) with an Advanced Minor in Architecture or
successful completion of another three year undergraduate architectural course*.

*In the case of completing another three year undergraduate architectural course, a review of prior learning in relation to the Swinburne Bachelor of Design (Architecture) will be necessary. Supplemental transitionary classes may be required.

Selection will be made using a Range of Criteria which can include (but not be limited to):

a pre-selection kit requiring submission of an on-line portfolio (between 10 and 20 pages) **
a personal motivation statement
university transcripts

**Pre-selection kit: Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of between 10 and 20 pages, which must address architecture- and/or urban design-related questions and include visual examples; and provide a 200-400 word written statement.

In your portfolio, we are looking for evidence of your ability to think spatially, critically and creatively, as well as the desire to design and build things. In assessing your portfolio, we would like to see your ability to conceptualize and develop ideas. As well as finished outcomes, we are also interested in concept sketches, 3d models or working drawings that display your thinking process.

Your portfolio will be assessed according to the following criteria:

conceptual thinking and level of ambition in your projects;
spatial thinking, planning and a sense of scale;
digital and analogue communication skills, including the use of architectural drawing conventions; and
construction and environmental technology.

Think carefully about how you present your portfolio as we will also consider how you structure your content into a clear, compelling story about yourself and your passion for, and commitment to, architecture and urban design.

All work must be original. All images must be clearly labelled. In the case of work that has involved others, such as group work or work with a design practice, clearly indicate what your contribution was.

Portfolios will be reviewed on a standard computer screen. Please ensure legibility accordingly.

To submit your portfolio, you’ll need to complete your online application first. We’ll then send you a link so you can upload your portfolio to Slide Room.

English language requirements

Satisfactory completion of one of the following:

IELTS overall band of 6.5 (Academic Module) with no individual band below 6.0
Swinburne’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP 5 Advanced level) with overall 70%, all skills 65%
Or equivalent measures available at English language requirements.

How to apply

Find out more about how to apply.

Find out more

Submit an online enquiry
Tel: +61 3 9214 8444 (outside Australia)

Free call: 1300 794 628 (within Australia)

Email: international@swinburne.edu.au